It’s ok to indulge once in a while. Seriously. And what better way to do that than delicious mahi mahi smothered in macadamia nuts? It’s almost better than the chocolate-covered kind (almost). We served this with steamed asparagus, lightly salted and buttered.

Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients
5 ounces (about 1 1/4 cups) roasted macadamia nuts, coarsely ground
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for brushing foil
4 (6 to 8-ounce) mahi mahi fillets
Kosher salt and pepper
2 tablespoons coconut milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir together the nuts, panko, flour, and butter. Set aside.

Place a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and brush it liberally with vegetable oil. Place the mahi mahi on the foil and sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper on both sides. Bake for 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and brush each fillet with the coconut milk. Divide the nut mixture among the tops of the 4 fillets, patting the mixture to spread and adhere to the fillets. Return to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

3 Comments

 Print Recipe  

Share

I know you’re thinking, sweet potato and avocado? What? But yes, they do go together and quite well I might add! We have typically made these regularly between two slices of nice crusty wheat bread, but tonight we’d though we’d break out the panini maker. The result? Just as delicious! (You know when you get a new toy and it becomes your new favorite thing for the next day/week/month? That’s the panini maker. Makes a darn good sandwich!)

Sweet Potato and Avocado Sandwiches

The dressing is key to these sandwiches. I’m not a mustard fan but honey mustard is a whole other story. The recipe originally called for boiled sweet potatoes; we found them bland, so we brushed them with oil and honey and oven-roasted them. Delish. Not to mention good for you too.

Ingredients
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp honey mustard
1 tbsp light mayonnaise
1/4 tsp poppy seeds
4 slices whole wheat bread
4 red onion slices, cut 1/8-inch thick
1/2 avocado cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 tomato slices, cut 1/4-inch thick
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
1/2 cup baby lettuce or herb salad mix

Directions
Toss sweet potato slices in a few tablespoons each of olive oil and honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook slices in oven until tender, about 15 minutes, flipping slices half way through.

Whisk together honey mustard, mayonnaise, and poppy seeds in a small bowl.

To construct the sandwiches, first spread half the poppy seed mixture on 2 of the bread slices, then place half of the onion, avocado, and tomato slices on top of each slice; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Add a layer of sweet potato slices, cheese and lettuce. Top with remaining bread. Slice each sandwich in half, securing each half with a toothpick. Serve with sliced dill pickles and a handful of baked chips.

3 Comments

 Print Recipe  

Share

Sorry for the long post delay, we went out of town for the weekend and didn’t get to the grocery until this morning. But we’re back with a fast and flavorful recipe that’s definitely one of our favorites!

Burgundy Steak Salad

The cut of meat isn’t so critical for this, we’ve never actually used ‘top loin’. Try a sirloin or a ribeye, both will do just fine. Also, 2 cups of shallots?!? That’s nuts I tell you! We use more like 1/2 cup. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 boneless top loin steaks (10 oz each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 head escarole, torn into 1-inch pieces or bag of mixed greens

Directions
Stir together salt, pepper, and cumin in a small bowl. Pat steaks dry and sprinkle spice mixture evenly on both sides, rubbing to adhere.

Heat oil in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook steaks, turning over once, until thermometer inserted horizontally registers 115°F, about 12 minutes total.

Transfer steaks to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered, 10 minutes. (Beef will continue to cook as it stands.) Add shallots to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until just softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in wine, vinegar, and brown sugar and cook 3 minutes. Add butter and cook, whisking constantly, until butter is incorporated and sauce is slightly thickened. Pour any meat juices accumulated on cutting board into sauce.

Cut steaks into 1/4-inch slices and serve over escarole. Spoon shallots and sauce over steak.

1 Comment

 Print Recipe  

Share

The roasting gives the veggies in this dish a wonderful rich flavor, not to mention beautiful with all the gorgeous colors. And couscous is a nice change from rice and pasta all the time. It also makes for great (and lots of) leftovers, which I am very much looking forward to tomorrow. :)

Basil Roasted Veggies & Couscous

Feel free to roast whatever veggies you like best, or whatever is in season at the time. This would also be good on the side dish of a nice roasted chicken.
Makes 4-6 servings.

Ingredients
2 Tbs minced fresh basil
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
2 garlic gloves, crushed
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1” slices
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1” pieces
1 medium yellow pepper, cut into 1” pieces
1 medium red onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 (8oz) package mushrooms
3 cups hot cooked couscous
3 oz. basil-flavored goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425ËšF.

Combine basil, vinegar, oil, salt, and garlic in large bowl. Stir well. Add vegetables and toss well to coat. Arrange vegetables in a single layer in a shallow roasting pan. bake for 35 minutes or until tender and browned, stirring occasionally.

Spoon roasted vegetables over couscous and top with cheese. Sprinkle with pepper. Garnish with fresh basic sprigs, if desired.

No Comments

 Print Recipe  

Share

What’s better than a recipe that involves NO cooking whatsoever? Um, nothing? We made these for the first time tonight, and they were quite refreshing. Due to some poor menu planning on my part, we were missing quite a few of the ingredients, and made quite a few substitutions. The recipe below is our version, which we liked, but you can view the original recipe on Epicurious.

This recipe would be amazing if allowed to marinate. If you’re the plan ahead type, make the dressing and add the chopped tofu and let it sit for a few hours (or overnight). Also, next time we won’t strain the dressing so as to let more flavor come through.

Spicy Lime and Herbed Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Makes 6 appetizer servings or 3-4 main course servings.

Ingredients
Dressing
1/4 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh lemongrass, cut from bottom 4 inches of 4 stalks with tough leaves removed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons sriracha chili sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Tofu
1/2 cup diced seeded peeled cucumber
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped seeded serrano chile
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil (preferably Vietnamese or Thai)
1 14- to 16-ounce package firm tofu, drained, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, patted dry
6 large or 12 medium butter lettuce leaves

Directions
For dressing:
Puree first 5 ingredients in blender. Let mixture stand at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. Strain mixture into small bowl, pressing on solids to release any liquid; discard solids. Stir in sweet chili sauce and sesame oil. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For tofu:
Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Add tofu and dressing to bowl; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange 1 or 2 lettuce leaves on each of 6 plates. Divide tofu mixture among lettuce leaves and serve.

1 Comment

 Print Recipe  

Share